1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fuel cells and, in particular, to a fuel cell formed from an electrode/electrolyte structure including at least one anode electrode and at least one cathode electrode disposed on opposing sides of an electrolyte sheet, the anode and cathode electrodes are electrically connected in series, parallel, or a combination thereof by at least one electrical conductor which has a specific composition and/or a specific geometry that traverses at least one via hole in the electrolyte sheet.
2. Description of Related Art
The demand for electricity has increased dramatically in the past few years and is expected to increase even more in the future, resulting in a need to come up with different ways to generate electricity. Gas turbines and diesel generators are some of the well known devices that can be used to generate electricity. However, gas turbines and diesel generators are not energy efficient nor are they environmentally sound. As such, fuel cells which can generate electricity in an efficient and environmentally sound manner have been the subject of a considerable amount of research in recent years.
The fuel cell described in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/858,124 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,881, includes an electrolyte sheet interposed between anode electrodes and cathode electrodes. The anode electrodes are bonded to a first side of the electrolyte sheet and the cathode electrodes are bonded to a second side of the electrolyte sheet. The anode and cathode electrodes are in opposing positions across the electrolyte sheet to form electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cells are connected in electrical series, parallel, or a combination of series and parallel by electrical conductors that traverse via holes formed in the electrolyte sheet and contact the anode and cathode electrodes. The electrical conductors identified in the preferred embodiment of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/858,124 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,623,881 are relatively flat and made from silver-palladium alloys (e.g., 70% silver-30% palladium). Although the use of the flat silver-palladium electrical conductors disclosed in this patent application works well in most applications they can in some applications limit the durability of the fuel cell. Accordingly, there is a need for a fuel cell that utilizes electrical conductors which have a specific composition and/or a specific geometry that enhances the durability of the fuel cell. This need and other needs are addressed by the fuel cell and electrical conductors of the present invention.